TLC’s Steve is being “dramatically” affected by backlash over claims that he is part of the MAGA movement.
It was recently revealed that the “No Scrubs” singer donated to Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and that she retweeted a nasty post about Michelle Obama.
He says all this was accidental and he is not a Trump supporter. But the fan reaction has been intense.
A source close to the TLC singer told Page Six, “She’s taking all of this very seriously, and it shouldn’t overshadow the legacy that she has created that includes the empowerment of black women.” “He’s not that person.”
“She’s not really MAGA. She voted for President Obama twice. There’s no MAGA community around her. She sees MAGA as the (January 6 insurrectionists),” he continued.
Chiles came under fire last week after it emerged she had once reposted a sinister conspiracy theory about the former first lady. Our source tells us she was hurt by the repost, and released a statement expressing her deep respect for Obama and condemning the MAGA community.
“It has had a dramatic impact on her and she is praying with her prayer group every day,” she said.
Social media warriors, influencers, and public figures like DL Hughley and Jemele Hill weren’t buying it. Some even accused her of holding back in order to save TLC’s upcoming tour with Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue (whose members are dealing with their own drama).
Her response seemed to do more harm than good, with Internet sleuths tracking down every MAGA-affiliated person she follows, the posts she likes, and the donations she’s made to organizations associated with Trump’s movement.
She attempted to explain the donation, saying: “I didn’t read the fine print. I thought I was advocating against human trafficking and for veterans.”
“Their engagement was based on conservative values… She doesn’t believe in hate. Her message was honest and authentic. She’s not enjoying any of this,” the source said.
Another source told us they believe Chiles’ statement to be true, but accused the religious singer of willful ignorance. “I’m not surprised (she was unaware),” he said.
Meanwhile, music insiders are pointing to slow ticket sales for the tour in major markets like New York and discussing how the MAGA association could hurt box office receipts.
One insider said, “The timing couldn’t be worse. Look at what’s going on in the world – even MAGA people are angry at MAGA.”
And even though tickets are selling slowly in NYC, we’re told over 150,000 tickets have already been sold there. In six markets – including LA – they are sold out.
Representatives for the singer and TLC did not reach out to us.
